Shop

HOW TO BUY: please send us an email with your request, including the name of the product, the quantity and your post address, and we’ll give you the payment details. *We’re currently exploring the possibility of setting up a PayPal account to make this process easier, we hope to have this sorted out very soon!

New items!

1. RUN THE SAHARA RAFFLE

For £5 a raffle ticket you could win:

• A fantastic one hour massage by sports massage therapist George Ellis 2. A handmade rug by Saharawi refugee women plus the 5 star reviewed Sandtracksalbum by camp based band Tiris 3. A LUSH bundle of products to relax your body, mind and feet! 4. A bottle of champagne to celebrate your achievements and 5. A £10 voucher to shop with TheBioScheme @Maltby Street Market

2. CHRISTMAS SILENT AUCTION:

Don’t miss your chance to bid on two stunning photographs taken in the camps by award-winner Simon Thorpe. They measure 50cm x 40cm and are mounted on hard foamboard ready to be hung. Starting bid for Boys on Bicycles is £75 and for Rivers of Light in the Desert it is £150. This last picture is the front cover for the 5-star album Sandtracks, by refugee band Tiris (see below). Make someone’s Christmas special with one of these photos! (Send an email for details)

Films:

La Badil (No Other Choice) (2012), Dominic Brown

La Badil (No Other Choice) was filmed undercover in the Moroccan controlled territories of Western Sahara on the eve of the second anniversary of the 2010 uprisings at Gdeim Izik. It provides a moving insight into the ongoing struggle for self-determination being fought by the Sahrawi who live under Moroccan rule. The documentary sheds light on the decades long conflict, and brings forth a resounding message from the Sahrawi about how their future should be shaped – there is no other choice (la badil) than to hold a referendum.

Price: £10 + postage

Robbed of Truth (2011), Carlos González

This is the true story of Fetim Salam, a Saharawi refugee falsely portrayed as a slave in the Australian documentary ‘Stolen’. The day the film premieres at the Sydney Film Festival on June 11, 2009, Fetim and her husband fly to Australia to confront the filmmakers and clear her name. This dramatic act, with Fetim declaring: ‘I am not a slave!’ makes front page news in Australia triggering a controversy (continuing to this day). ’Robbed of Truth’ uncovers a web of lies, misinformation, and Moroccan operatives apparently reshaping the truth. In the end, it is clear that slavery does not exist in the Saharawi refugee camps; what is not clear is the motivation behind the film ‘Stolen’. By an intense investigation of ‘Stolen’, ‘Robbed of Truth’ clearly becomes a timely look at the ethics in documentary filmmaking, demonstrating that the power of film as propaganda is undiminished in 2011.

Overall picture of the Saharawi situation from the refugee camps perspective. This documentary focuses on Saharawi culture, history and the role of women in the struggle.

Price: £10 + postage

Beats of Distant Hearts (2000), Danielle Smith

Danielle Smith, filmmaker, photographer, anthropologist and Sandblast Founding Director, travelled to the Saharawi refugee camps for the first time in 1991. From the very beginning her imagination was captured by the inspiring Saharawi culture and the powerful role the arts, especially the music and poetry, but also the newly developed painting style, had played during the revolution and the 16 years of war (1975-1991). She decided to film a documentary showcasing this part of the story and Beats of Distant Hearts, the Art of the Revolution in Western Sahara was born. Although filmed in 1996, it was not released until 2000. Twelve years later, the film is still relevant today as it shows how the Saharawi arts and culture continue to be the best way of reaching international audiences and raise awareness about the Saharawi situation. After the screening, there was a Q&A with the filmmaker.

Price: individuals £25 + postage; institutions £100 + postage

Music:

Sandtracks (2007), Tiris

Tiris is a Saharawi music and dance sensation from the refugee camps in South West Algeria. Fusing the best of tradition and innovation in a raw and powerful way, they sing of love, loss, and their long struggle and aspirations for independence in their homeland of Western Sahara. Named after one of the most symbolic and sacred places in the cultural lore of Western Sahara, Tiris is a group of vocalists who perform accompanied by the traditional t’bal drum, the four stringed tidinit, electric guitar and keyboard-synthesizer and accordion. The 8-member strong group accentuates the outstanding voices of young rising star, Mufeed and Shueta, known locally as the Aretha Franklin of the Sahara, who has sung for years for the struggle. In collaboration with Sandblast, Tiris produced their first CD Sandtracks in 2007.

Price: £10 + postage

Books:

Paysages d’un exile (2012), by Rif Spanhi

The desert, the density, the monotony, the human trace, living borderless… A poetic and poignant reflection about exile. Rif Spahni (Mallorca, 1972) conducted this work in the Saharawi refugee camps near Tindouf, SW Algeria, from 2005 to 2007.

Price: £28 + postage

See how much I love you (2009), Luis Leantes

An epic love story: Montse and Santiago meet as teenagers in 1970s Barcelona, a poor boy and a middle-class girl ready for seduction. After they break up, Santiago flees to the western Sahara. Years later, Montse braves war and personal danger to find him.

Price: £10 + postage

Treinta y Uno (2007), Anthology

As a result of Spanish colonialism and the elevated numbers of Saharawis who have studied in Cuba since exile began, a new generation of Saharawis have emerged who opt for Spanish over Arabic to express themselves. A group of poets called The Generation of Saharawi Friendship reflect this trend. Treinta y Uno, the first anthology of their poems to be published in Spanish and English, was produced by Sandblast in collaboration with Leeds University.

Price: £8 + postage

Other:

Sandblast postcards

Price: £1 each + postage; £7.5 + postage, 10 postcards

HOW TO BUY: please send us an email with your request, including the name of the product, the quantity and your post address, and we’ll give you the payment details. *We’re currently exploring the possibility of setting up a PayPal account to make this process easier, we hope to have this sorted out very soon!